(semi-open)

[debtor]

Date & Time: January 15th, or whenever
Location: somewhere in the creepy castle/hotel/museum
Characters: Allen Walker, Howard Link, Rosette Christopher, Chrono, and anyone else in the castle who feels like dropping by at any point.
Summary: SOUL SHENANIGANS and whatever else your heart desires. Open to castle antics.
Warnings: ALLEN WALKER IS FINE

[Allen sure is super unconscious suddenly.

And gray. For some reason.]



[And you may have heard someone screaming "I'M FINE" repeatedly at themselves near the castle grounds a short while ago, strangely.]

Comments

[soul_sister]

[FUTURE ALLEN. SHE'S NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF TERMS YOU ARE ON WITH THIS MOOK. But she's going to stomp on his foot so hard. SO HARD. When they get back.

In the mean time though, the memory being real enough for her to affect, means that it can certainly affect her. She's jerked back by the collar of her frock and grits her teeth. This much? Wasn't worth interfering.]

What is?

[debtor]

[Cross lifts her up, only slightly, and doesn't answer the question. He just gives her a look nothing short of contemptuous.

"Disappear."

He drops her, and along with Tim, stalks off into the shadows.

Leaving her in the snow with a rather badly shaken child, curled in on himself, staring hard at the ground before him.

TODAY. WASN'T A GOOD DAY...]

Idiot...

[soul_sister]

Why I ought to...

[She lets out her breath in a large huff and picks herself back up. She approaches miniAllen again, this time crouching to put a hand on his shoulder.]

Come on... I know it's hard, but lets find somewhere safe.

[debtor]

[There are tears in his eyes. He wipes at them furiously, trying to hide it, and flinches away from her touch.

'There's nowhere safe', he wants to say. She doesn't know what she's talking about.]

Sh-shut up.

I have t'go. But... that clown...

[soul_sister]

Then we'll go together.

[She sits down, pulls up her knees and wraps her arms around them.]

What happened to him?

[debtor]

[He finds himself talking, despite himself. His voice is thick and uneven. Back then, he had no one to talk to, but here, somehow, he does, and it all comes rushing out,]

Is he okay...?

I hit 'im. I didn't mean to. He got in the way, that idiot, I didn't mean... I didn't-! [ he stops, sniffs.

his thin shoulders shake. ]

Not Mana. I wanted to hit that bastard... that bastard who killed Allen!

[soul_sister]

[If he'll let her, she tries a touch again, lightly on the shoulder, the slow, gentle approach you would a feral dog.

But then... What did he just say?]

Killed... Allen?

[debtor]

[He doesn't flinch this time, though his shoulders tense under her palm. Glancing up, finally making eye contact. Allen's death is clearly upsetting to. Allen.

He misunderstands her confusion.]

Did you know 'im? M-Mana said Allen was very lonely, but after I met him... [ he wasn't, anymore... ]

[soul_sister]

I... [Her mind raced with the possibilities ... spirit death, split minds... even maybe a brother or best friend he took up the name of...]

The Allen I know is a good friend... Loyal, sweet. ... Maybe a bit lonely, yes. ........ kinda stubborn.

[debtor]

[Nope, nope, nope, aaaand... closer, but nope.

He wipes his eyes, blinking at her. And then glances away, fresh tears running down his cheeks. He can't seem to make them stop. Was Allen all of those things, too?]

Th-they treated him like a burden 'ere. [ they treated him like a burden too, Allen was just like him. lonely, unloved. but for a time, they had each other. ] But he kept me company...

He was Mana's...

[soul_sister]

It sounds like you had each other, at least.

[Though as the child trails off, she prompts him, gently.]

Mana's...?

[debtor]

[He crosses his arms.]

His partner. Mana an' his dog, they were the best act here.

[With that, the memory of the child fades away, and her surroundings shift -


she's back within the circus she started in, although a different location. The big-top isn't visible here, she's surrounded by smaller tents on all sides, each with an entrance.

A man stands between two of them. Without his makeup on, it's hard to recognize the clown from before. He's wearing old clothes and a battered top hat and he could use a shave, but his expression is warm and his smile is comforting this time. He watches her from a distance, but says nothing.]

[soul_sister]

[He'll have to wait just a moment. Because ... it's not that she's PROCESSING what she just heard.]

[soul_sister]

[It's just that it's REALLY hard to believe.]

WHO WOULD DO THAT?!

DONE

[soul_sister]

[OKAY. NO. SHE CAN DO THIS.]

Uh. HI!

[Are YOU the one who named him after a dog.]

[debtor]

[Yes indeed he is.

Well. No.

Sort of.




He's also not talking. Not even a 'hello.' He's just placidly pointing at one of the tents.]

[soul_sister]

[She stands up, her skirts swirling around her in time to no wind in memory.

Rosette looks the man up and down carefully, and simply nods. He seemed like someone Allen trusted...

She takes the time THIS TIME, to peek into the tent, rather than just step blindly into another lions cage.]

[debtor]

[Trusted enough to let him name him after a dog!!

And for whatever reason, this... is the bizarre scene that plays out in the tent he directed her to, in the world's worst playroom. At least there aren't any lions!

Allen here looks a little younger than the Allen she currently knows, but his hair is white and his face is scarred this time. His arm is also a massive clawed monstrosity, kind of nailed to the wall there. Lenalee is visible from this vantage point, apparently unconscious in a chair, as is Miranda Lotto, nailed to a clock. Nobody's having a good day here, either.

But the focus is on the little girl in the middle of it all, taking it upon herself to inform the boy about chosen ones and God and Noah, etc. Her skin gradually turns gray - a familiar shade - as she speaks.

There's also a talking pumpkin thing.]

[soul_sister]

[There is an oppressive sense of danger far beyond the lion cage or the angry doucheface, and the wreckage of some first stand, in blood and impalement only confirmed it in bright red stains. She hesitates, stepping into the tent flaps, and letting it close behind her.

The skin is very familiar. ... If this is what she's fighting. What ALLEN is fighting.

But Miranda... Lenalee... A lot about them suddenly made sense and her heart ached just watching this, reminding herself that this has already happened. They lived through this. Still... she can't quite help...]

Come on... you can't let it end here!

[debtor]

[Neither Miranda, nor Lenalee, seem to hear her. Allen, however, stares at Rosette, wan and wide-eyed, arm jerking under its restraints. And then he starts pulling against them, much harder.

But there's the little girl, too. She stops mid-speech, and slowly, wordlessly turns her gaze to Rosette, and the three grotesque monsters behind her do the same. The girl's too-wide toothy smile is fixed in place, but something about her eyes change - this memory is watching her, and it sees her quite clearly.

She'll suddenly find about a dozen very sharp, floating candles pointed in her direction.]

R-run!

[soul_sister]

[Her eyes widen as the monsters turn to her as well... It takes the boy's shout to galvanize her, though.

She dives, tucking her body into a tight roll to take some - ANY - cover behind the Victorian, checkered furniture. Listening for the whistle and thunk of a projectile, she pulls herself- her soul- up tight.

And picks up a wood bodied teddy bear... Better than NO weapon.]

[debtor]

[She'll hear it, a second later, as the candles all embed themselves in the wall she'd been standing in front of. Followed by the soft clack clack of hard-soled shoes on a wood floor, as the girl approaches.

Somewhere in the background, there's a screech of metal and a cracking of drywall, a choked-off scream, and finally a heavy thud.

The little girl stops in front of the piece of furniture, humming some tune to herself. A few more candles fly close, pointed in Rosette's general direction. The girl's voice is sing-song, mocking, "What are you doing?"]

[soul_sister]

[She can't see the girl, but the candles.... Hovering in bright colors around the edge of the chair. Those she could see.

She didn't know enough about this to pretend to be a part of this, she realized. The girl on the other side was aware in a way nothing else had been.. except Allen. That meant, whatever else was here... knew she was here too.]

I'm here to bring him back!

Allen! I know why you're hiding in these memories... But you can't stay here!

[debtor]

[The little girl peeks around the chair - except she's not a girl at all, this time. Nothing but a black shadow, with glowing white eyes and a bright bright grin. "You can't."

The candles fly -

but they won't hit her. There's suddenly a massive gray arm held over her like a shield, candles digging into it. Allen crouches on the other side, breath heavy and uneven, head hung low.]

Please, you shouldn't...

[soul_sister]

[Her eyes open wide, tears welling up in them at that sound. She looks up at Allen, sheltering her and holds out a hand to him.]

I SHOULD! We can do this together.

I already told you! I'm not leaving your side! ... That means you can't leave mine either!